DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio -- When it comes to security in schools, one of the most important tools isn't equipment or technology. It's a person -- a school-resource officer.
Now, officials in one Central Ohio county have a plan to increase the number of those officers without costing taxpayers a dime.
Both of DeeDee James' children attend Buckeye Valley High School in Delaware County.
She says when it comes to seeing them off to school in the morning she's at ease knowing there's a school-resource officer around -- not just for their safety, but her safety, as well.
After all, she works there.
"I feel much more comfortable myself being here and my kids being here knowing that he is around," she says.
Buckeye Valley Schools is one of the districts provided a school-resource officer by the Delaware County sheriff's office.
However, he doesn't spend all his time at the high school. He also spreads his time between a middle school and three elementary schools.
The county has similar arrangements with Olentangy Local Schools and Big Walnut Schools in which the district helps pay the cost of having the school-resource officer.
"Students feel comfortable approaching him. Students feel comfortable confiding in him.
He's just a tremendous asset to our school," Buckeye Valley High School Principal Susan Gooch says.
As it stands now, Delaware County has three school-resource officers.
But if the county is awarded a grant being pursued by Sheriff Walter Davis from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Service, it could mean more than $1.1 million to pay for as many as five new school-resource officers for three years.
"I'm trying to think what would be bad about that proposal," Gooch says.
While the grant hasn't been awarded yet, she says one officer has made a world of difference -- more would be even better.
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